Monday, 20 February 2012

The 2kDozen 500: #70 - Mark Stewart v Primal Scream, "Autonomia EP"

Not strictly an EP, I might argue, as it contains five versions of the same tune, "Autonomia". But this is Primal Scream being moved away from their Stones pretensions, so it has to be worth a go. And I've never listened to enough of Mark Stewart or The Pop Group, even though "She Is Beyond Good and Evil" is great. Also this will be "album" number six today, so I'm going a bit easy on myself. The album itself, "The Politics of Envy" is due out at the end of March.

The original Radio mix (which isn't on the 12inch, but is online) is infected with the lazy Stones problem, scratchy guitar and pub vocals about "keeping the dream alive". But it gets more interesting with the remixes - split between Bristol dubwork and Glasgow techno. Pinch's Apocalyptic Rework gives an idea of what's on the tin with husky vocal fragments about "attack dogs, rubber bullets, tear gas" coming to the front and the pub rock element submerged beneath chilled layers of electronic ice. Bobby contributes a faint "be-bop"; always looking to shortcut revolution into music, that lad.

The video above has a strange Alan Partridge feel - leather driving gloves, middle age spread and some Toblerones melting slowly in the glove compartment.

JD Twitch of Glasgow's Optimo distorts the middle age rage in his Total Destruction mix, initially over a vaguely Orb-feeling chug but dumping more and more trippy junk on top until it creaks wonderfully. Even Stewart's posh voice urging "total resistance" at the beginning works. The instrumental version is even better. It churns and clatters and walks the fucking walk and I've a disagreement waiting here in my coat pocket for anyone that feels differently. Optimo should produce the next Primals album - that would fly right up my flagpole. You don't hear enough kitchen sink remixes these days.